FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to rotating displays and to rotation mechanisms onto which such displays may be mounted, and more particularly to displays and mechanisms which may be easily rotated by consumers and which automatically return to a predetermined position when released by the consumer.
Displays used for marketing purposes may contain, for example, advertising materials, working models or a product arranged in an attractive manner on the display. In many instances, for reasons of space efficiency as well as effective marketing, it may be desirable to place information, products or the like in large quantities on a single display. Hence, it is often desirable to utilize a circular or polygonal display holder wherein products or materials to be displayed are placed along all sides of the holder. When a display is arranged in this manner it is desirable that the display be capable of rotation such that a viewer approaching from one side may, without moving, easily rotate the display to view any of the other sides.
For many applications, it is desirable that the rotating display, prior to rotation, be oriented in a predetermined starting position. For example, in a room where the physical layout makes it highly likely that a consumer will initially approach the display from a particular direction, the side of the display most likely to attract a consumer's attention should desirably face the likely direction of consumer approach. In some applications a display may set forth information which is best viewed in a sequential manner, and of course would desirably be oriented such that the initial information of the sequence faces the expected direction from which consumers are likely to approach.
A problem with rotating displays is that, while they make it convenient for a consumer to view all sides, they are often rotated to a less than desirable starting position from which to attract the next consumer who passes the display. Hence, there is a need for displays capable of automatically rotating to a desired predetermined orientation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,471 discloses the use of a complex two-spring mechanism for biasing a swivel chair to face a given direction. Other swivel chair mechanisms are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,204,915, 1,918,190 and 3,224,724. U.S. Pat. No. 2,084,818 discloses a billboard whose panels may pivot to avoid excessive wind pressure. None of these patents disclose rotating displays automatically returnable to predetermined starting positions. Nor do they disclose inexpensive, high durability rotation mechanisms for such displays. The swivel chain art does not take into account rotation problems which may be unique to displays. For example, it is desirable for aesthetic reasons that the rotation mechanism at the base of a display be very close to the ground or countertop on which the display is placed. It is also usually desired, for both aesthetic and functional reasons, that a rotating display rotate slowly. For example, if lightweight products are loosely affixed to a display, they may be dislodged by excessive rotating speeds or by an abrupt halt at the conclusion of rotation should the display "snap" back to a starting position. Simple mechanisms with relatively few moving parts likely to require replacement are needed for use in displays. In addition to the durability of such mechanisms, they may be mass produced much more efficiently than may more complex mechanisms.
For many purposes, more than one initial orientation would be suitable. For example, if the display were a two-sided poster, either of two starting orientations (where one poster side or the other faces the likely direction of consumer approach) would be preferred. Where there are alternative appropriate initial positions, it may be useful for the display to be randomly oriented in any of such positions. A consumer whose interest was not attracted upon first passing the display may nontheless become interested upon subsequently passing the display after it has been rotated to show a different face.